Chapter 27

Chapter 27


OLIVIA

I got to Ryan's house and immediately went upstairs to my room. I had called Melody earlier and she promised to come stay for a few days.

I can't bear this growing tension between me and Ryan. It's eating me up.

After undressing and taking my bath, a soft knock came to the door which I opened and Melody came in.

“You don't look good.” That was the first thing that slipped out of her mouth when she saw me. I sighed and lay on the bed.

“I don't wanna talk about it. I'm hungry. Up, up.” I grabbed both of her hands as we walked to the dining room.

After eating, I led Melody to the guest room as it was getting dark.

I was about to go upstairs when I heard the gate like door opening and Ryan walked in.

“See why I told you, you shouldn't have come to the company?” He blurted out, catching me off guard.

“Did I do something?” I asked out of concern.

He sighed… “nope.” I looked at him, his answer didn't sound convincing.

“Just that you might be the topic of tomorrow after confronting me outside.”

Oh shit. Bloggers.

I hope no one heard us right. What's wrong with me?



We arrived at the office, and it felt like the tension between Ryan and me hadn’t completely left.

He drove silently, and I couldn’t blame him. He had tried to make me feel better, but I still couldn’t shake off the embarrassment from last night.

We pulled into the parking lot, and Ryan turned off the car.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said again, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I nodded and stepped out of the car, trying to focus on the day ahead.

As we walked into the building together, Dante greeted us with a polite smile. “Good morning, Ryan,” he said, nodding to me as well.

“Morning,” Ryan replied, his voice flat. He wasn’t in the mood for small talk today, I could tell.

“I’m sorry, but there are people here to see you,” Dante continued. “They’re in the board meeting hall. It’s important.”

Ryan nodded, glancing at me for a brief moment. “Go to my office,” he said, turning toward Dante. “I’ll meet you there after I deal with this.”

I gave a small nod as I watched Ryan walk away with Dante.

I tried not to let it bother me, but it felt strange.

Come to think of it, how would I cope having Ryan around? In the same space?

Damn.

I walked down the hall, and as I passed the break room, I saw Rachel and some of the other female coworkers standing around, gossiping.

The moment they saw me, their conversation died.

I didn’t even stop to acknowledge them. I kept walking, trying to ignore the way they stared at me.

I didn’t greet Sasha. Why would I? She didn’t deserve one.

As I passed them, I heard their whispers.

I gritted my teeth, but I didn’t let it show on my face.

One of the other girls chimed in. “I bet she’s just like the rest of them. You know, one of those girls who’ll get close to him because he’s rich. She’ll probably try to seduce the CEO and claim she's pregnant for him… Ew.

My heart dropped, and heat, and anger flushed though my face.

I kept walking, but it felt like all eyes were on me.

They were judging me. Talking about me.

And I didn’t even get the chance to explain myself.

Would I do that?

Hell no.

I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to go back and say something to Sasha.

Defend myself. But I knew better than to give her the satisfaction.

I wasn’t that kind of girl. And I didn’t care what she or anyone else thought about me.

I just kept walking, not looking back, and tried to focus on the task at hand.
I turned a corner and saw Ryan's office door up ahead.

I quickened my pace, eager to get started on my work. But as I reached the door, I realized that it was locked.

I frowned, trying the door handle again. But it wouldn't budge. I was confused - why would Ryan's office be locked?

He asked me to come here and now it's locked?

I stood there for a moment, wondering what to do next.

I could go back to the reception area and ask Dante if he knew anything, or I could try to find another way into the office.

But then I remembered the elevator.

I could take the elevator down to the lobby and see if I could find any clues about what was going on.

I turned and walked back down the hallway, my heels clicking on the floor.

I pressed the button to call the elevator, and a few seconds later, the doors slid open.

I stepped inside, pressing the button for the lobby.

The doors closed, I noticed Rachel standing in the corner of the elevator, talking to a guy I didn't recognize.

I ignored her, looking straight ahead. But as the elevator started moving, Rachel spoke up.

"Hey, Olivia," Rachel said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you're still clinging to Ryan's coattails."

I turned to face her, a smirk on my face. "Oh, Sasha, you're so jealous. You wish you were in my shoes."

Sasha's face turned red with anger. "Jealous? Of you? Don't make me laugh."

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out. Rachel followed me, her heels clicking on the floor.

"You think you're so special right?” Rachel spat. "But you're not special. You're just a pathetic little girl who can't get a real job."

I stopped walking and turned to face Sasha. "Wow, Sasha, you're really showing your true colors. I'm surprised you didn't foam at the mouth."

Sasha's eyes narrowed. "You think you're funny, don't you? But you're not. You're just a joke."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm a joke? That's rich coming from someone who's been sleeping with half the office."

Sasha's face turned purple with rage. "How dare you!" she shouted.

I shrugged. "I'm just stating the facts. You're the one who's making a scene."

Sasha's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked like she was about to explode. "You...you...bitch!" she spat.

I smiled sweetly. "That's the best you've got? I'm disappointed."



I couldn't sit still, so I decided to grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. As I walked in, I spotted Dave sitting at a table.

"Hey, Olivia," he said with a smile. "Mind if I join you?"

I shook my head, and he walked over to me. "I know things have been a bit tense between you and Sasha," he said. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing."

I appreciated his kindness. "I'm doing okay, thanks for asking."

Dave nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

I smiled. "That would be great, thanks."

Dave walked over to the coffee machine and poured us each a cup. We sat down at a table, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

"You're doing great, Olivia," he said. "Don't let Rachel get to you."

"Thanks, Dave."

Just then, I saw Ryan walk into the cafeteria.

He was sitting at a table on the other side of the room, talking to a woman I had never seen before.

My heart skipped a beat as I watched them laugh and chat. The woman was smiling at Ryan, and he was smiling back at her.

I felt a pang of jealousy, which I quickly pushed aside.

I had no right to feel jealous. Ryan and I were
just coworkers.

Right? Yes.

But as I watched them, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of possessiveness.

Who was this woman, and why was Ryan smiling at her like that?